Sewage and/or waste water pump



July 30, 1968 w. J. CONERY SEWAGE AND/OR WASTE WATER PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 28, 1966 FIG.|

4 n I "In Ill/d INVENTOR. .WILLIAM J. CONERY 0%, 0% ATTORNEYS July 30. 1968 w. J. CONERY SEWAGE AND/OR WASTE WATER PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1966 Y MN United States Patent 3,394,656 SEWAGE AND/0R WASTE WATER PUMP William J. Conery, Hayesville, Ohio, assignor to Hydr- O-Matic Pump Company, Hayesville, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 523,753 4 Claims. (Cl. 10311) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a unique connection for sewage pumps to a piping combination which is adapted to receive discharge bulk sewage fluid that may contain rags, papers, and other objectionable solid materials therein. Specifically, the piping connection permits ready removal of the pumps without removal of any nuts, bolts, etc., and provides a positive seal between the pumps and the discharge piping because of the unique piping connection between same. Effectively, the invention relies upon a flexible O-ring seal to achieve a sealed relationship between the pump and the discharge piping, where there is no wedging of metal faces, or the like, to achieve the seal.

This invention relates to sewage and/0r waste water pumps, and especially to a pump that is adapted to receive and discharge bulk sewage fluid that may contain a large number of rags, papers, or other objectionable solid material therein.

Heretofore there have been various types of pumping systems provided for handling different types of fluid sewage and some of such pumping systems have been provided with means for preventing passage of solid materials to the pump to avoid blocking of the pumps or otherwise interfering with the pumping actions thereof. However, all of such previous systems, insofar as I am aware, have not been completely satisfactory inasmuch as they may have been relatively complicated and expensive, or they have been diffieult to service, or they have been objectionable for other reasons.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved sewage pumping system or apparatus which is characterized by its relative uncomplicated and inexpensive construction and which includes therein a pair of submersible pumps either of which can be removed from the system without dismantling or disconnecting any of the piping in the system, or closing any of the valve means present in the system.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sewage and/or waste water pumping apparatus wherein solid material in the fluid sewage is prevented from reaching the pump means, and wherein one special pivotally positioned, vertically extending valve is provided for alternately engaging either of the discharge means of the pair of pumps that is idle when the other pump is operating.

Other objects of the invention are to provide special means for connecting the pumps in the system to the remainder of the apparatus whereby they are suspended in operative association with the discharge means in the apparatus by gravity and an easily disengageable coupling means; and to provide an improved fluid sewage pumping system which is easy to service, is relatively inexpensive to build, and is made from a minimum number of parts.

Attention now is particularly directed to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partially broken away and shown in vertical section, of the improved pumping system of the invention;

3,394,656 Patented July 30, 1968 FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the pumping system of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevation, partially broken away and shown in vertical section, of the pump means and system of the invention with a portion of the apparatus being shown diagrammatically.

The present invention, as one embodiment thereof, broadly speaking, comprises a bulk fluid sewage pumping apparatus including the combination of a pair of pump means each of which has a horizontally directed discharge pipe, a common discharge means for the pump means connecting thereto by separate horizontally directed means having a vertically upwardly extending member on an end portion thereof, valve means in the discharge means for closing the horizontally directed means from any idle pump means when the other pump means is energized and pumping, which apparatus normally is used in a sump that surrounds the pump means, an inlet pipe means connected to and discharging into the discharge means vertically above the pump means for gravity discharge through the discharge means and the pump means into the sump, valve means connecting operatively to the inlet pipe means to close the inlet pipe means automatically when any pump means is energized and pumping, and individual horizontally directed members secured to each of the discharge pipes and protruding from the ends thereof, which members, in the protruding portions thereof, have an aperture therein engageable with the vertically upwardly extending member by being lowered thereover to suspend the pump means therefrom and connect such pump means operatively to the discharge means.

Particular attention is now directed to the accompanying drawings and the details shown therein, and the bulk or fluid sewage pumping apparatus of the invention is indicated as a whole by the numeral 1. The sewage flows into the apparatus 1, which normally is positioned in any suitable sump 2, through an inlet pipe 3. This fluid sewage may be of any consistency and have any foreign materials therein such as small sticks, rags, papers or the like and the apparatus 1 of the invention is adapted to pump such material without damage to the pump means used in the apparatus.

FIG. 1 of the drawings shows that the inlet pipe 3 connects by any suitable means to an overflow box 4 that is provided at the upper portion of the apparatus 1 and connects through a suitable valve 5 to a housing or discharge means 6 that is vertically positioned in the apparatus. The overflow box 4 preferably has some type of a screen or grate 7 on the upper portion thereof, so that, as hereinafter described, fluid material only from the incoming sewage can discharge through the screen 7 for flow to the sump 2 when the pump means in the apparatus 1 is functioning.

As a feature of the apparatus 1, in order to prevent any large solids or rags, or the like, in the incoming sewage from passing to the pump means in the apparatus, a screen means 8 is provided in the housing 6 vertically below the valve 5. This screen means 8 may be of any suitable construction, but usually it may comprise something such as a plurality of circumferentially spaced, but generally vertically extending stainless steel rods or bars 9 that extend a suitable distance vertically of the housing 6 and may be secured, for example, at their lower ends to each other through an apertured bottom disc 10 whereby the fluid in the sewage will readily flow between the rods 9 for further flow downwardly of the housing 6, but the solid material in the sewage will be caught upon the rods 9 and held in the receptacle formed thereby for further treatment in the apparatus of the invention. Just the fluid sewage then flows down through the screen means 8 into the lower end of the housing 6 and the housing normally has a pair of opposed, horizontally directed connecting means such as tubes 11 and 12 suitably secured thereto and extending laterally therefrom in opposite directions. The apparatus of the invention preferably includes a pair of submersible pumps 13 and 14 with one connecting tube 11 or 12 connecting individually to the pumps 13 and 14, respectively, by discharge tubes, pipes, or elbows 15 and 16 secured, respectively, to the pumps 13 and 14 and extending vertically upwardly therefrom and then terminating in horizontally directed end sections that are positioned in the apparatus in opposed relationship for engaging with the adjacent ends of the connecting tubes 11 and '12 protruding from the housing 6. The pumps 13 and 14 are of any suitable construction and are automatically and electrically controlled by remote means (not shown) positioned in the sump 2 and connecting to the motors for driving the pumps 13 and 14 whereby when the fluid material in the sump 2 reaches a predetermined level, one or the other of the pumps 13 and 14 is energized and starts pumping. Normally, the pumps are individually driven and are alternately driven with one pump operating to move the fluid in the sump from its predetermined high value to a predetermined low value at which time the controls for the pump will automatically terminate its drive. Then on the next energization cycle for the apparatus of the invention, the other pump will be energiped for pumping fluid material out of the sump 2.

It is another important feature of the invention that a special discharge valve means, plate or member 17 is provided and it normally is vertically positioned and is pivotally carried by a suitable rod or shaft 18 secured to the housing 6 and extending thereacross. The valve 17 has a pair of flat sides 19 and 20 provided thereon, which sides are contoured complementary to and are of such side as to be individually abutted against the inner ends 11a and 12a of the connecting tubes in sealing engagement therewith. These ends are cut off flatly at an acute angle to the vertical as shown and the sides of the valve are contoured so that in the normal pivotal movement of the valve on the rod 18, the side 19 can be engaged with the end 11a, or the side 20 can be engaged with the edge or surface 12a of the other tube, as described hereinafter.

Normally the valve 17 will be vertically suspended by gravity intermediate the ends 11a and 12a of the connecting tubes whereby any fluid flowing downwardly of the housing 6 will flow past the valve 17 through the tubes 11 and 1'2, the elbows 15 and 16, and through the pumps 13 and/or 14 for discharge into the sump 2.

When one of the pumps 13 or 14 is energized and pumping, then the pump will force liquid upwardly of its discharge elbow and through the tube 11 or 12 so as to force the valve 17 over into engagement with the adjacent end 11a or 12a of the other tube for the pump which has not been energized whereby fluid will be forced upwardly of the screen means 8 and will lift or force any solids, rags, paper or the like, therein to flow upwardly of the housing 6. Some suitable discharge pipe 21 is suitably connected to the upper end of the housing 6 and this discharge pipe 21 has a suitable member, such as a check valve 22, provided therein whereby fluid can flow upwardly of the discharge pipe 21 and flow axially thereof as indicated in the drawing, but reverse or counter flow of the fluid cannot occur so that no pumped fluid sewage and associated solids will flow back into the sump.

It will be realized that when one of the pumps 13 or 14 is operating, the upward flow of the sewage means in the housing 6 will cooperate with gravity in forcing the valve against the overflow box 4 whereby flow of fluid sewage into the system is avoided and sewage will only flow upwardly and outwardly of the discharge pipe 21. Sewage flowing into the overflow box at such time will then merely collect the solid material in the overflow box 4 with the fluid matter present overflowing through the screen 7 into the sump 2. The next time that the valve 5 is opened, the solid material collected in the overflow box 4 will flow through such valve and down into the screen means 8 for collection therein, as described.

Yet another important feature of the invention is that the pumps 13 and 14 are in a quickly removable, gravity controlled engagement with the housing 6 and can be readily and easily engaged therewith and disengaged therefrom, as desired, without changing any of the valve means in the system or without disconnecting any of the pipe means provided. To this end, each of the connecting tubes 11 and 12 is provided with a vertically upwardly extending finger or lug 23 or 24 on an upper end portion thereof and with such lugs in turn being individually engageable with horizontally extending means, such as a simple ring latch or plate 25 that is suitably secured to the upper end of each of the elbows 15 and 16 and extends laterally therefrom. These rings or plates 25 are secured in position by members, such as cap screws 26, and each of these plates or rings has an aperture 27 in the protruding portion of this member '25 which aperture 27 is contoured complementary to the lug 23 or 24 with which it is engaged and can be directly engaged therewith by merely being lowered down vertically over such lug to take the operative position as shown. At that time, the associataed and adjacent flat surfaces on the ends of the elbows '15 and 16 engage the adjacent vertically extending flat surfaces of the tubes 11 and 12 and any suitable seal means can be provided therebetween, such as an O-ring 28 that is received in a suitable recess provided in the end of the tube 11, as shown, whereby an effective sealing action can be obtained between these two coupled metal pipes. In actual operation since the flat surfaces of elbows 15 and 16 engage the flat surfaces of tubes 11 and 12 in a vertical relationship, no wedging action between the surfaces occurs. Rather, it is fluid pressure acting behind the respective O-ring 28 that forces the O-ring into engagement between the faces that accomplishes the desired seal. Thus, the only requirement in the vertical aligned relation between the respective flat surfaces of the elbows and tubes is that they not be spaced so far apart that the O-rings 28 will blow out of their respective recesses. However, no wedging action occurs. Gravity does act to some extent on the pumps 13 and 14 together with the precision relation between respective apertures 27 and lugs 23 and 24 to hold the flat surfaces together sufliciently to allow the O-rings 28 to achieve the seal desired. However, most of the weight of the respective pumps is taken on the legs A illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 1 of the drawings. By this construction, it is possible by just lifting the pump 13 or 14 and its associated discharge elbows directly vertically, the entire pump will be lifted out of engagement with the apparatus of the invention. Such lift action can be provided by any suitable member, such as individual relatively elongate handles 29 that can be secured to a pump in any suitable manner and to a flange portion on the discharge elbow 15, for example, by a suitable cap screw 30 or the like and with the handles 29 normally extending vertically upwardly to about the top portion of the sump 2. Thus, a service man can disengage either or both entire pump units and remove it or them from the apparatus. Such removal does not effect the incoming flow of fluid into the sump 2, and then when the remaining pump, if only one pump unit is removed, is energized and pumping, the valve 17 is so moved by the pumped material so as to engage with the adjacent end of one of the connecting tubes and permit normal discharge from the sump 2. The pumps may have support legs A thereon and one leg may rest on the floor of the sump when the pump is supported on the lug 23 or '24.

The screen means 8 may be supported by spring bracc means 8a in the housing 6.

The pumps have suitable inlet means connecting to the sump and incoming liquid will flow out of such inlet to the sump.

From the foregoing, it is seen that a relatively simple, uncomplicated apparatus has been provided by the invention and such apparatus or system has novel control valve means therein and the system is very easy to repair or service whereby the objects of the invention have been achieved.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that modification of this particular embodiment of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pipe connection for a bulk sewage pump, the combination of a horizontally directed discharge pipe from the pump having a fiat vertically directed face on the end thereof,

a discharge means for the pump having a flat vertically directed face on the end thereof where one of the said faces has an annular recess therein,

an O-sealing ring received in said recess,

means to removably and slidably couple the fiat face of the discharge pipe in close spaced adjacent relation to the fiat face of the discharge means, and

means supporting the pump and discharge pipe when the discharge pipe and discharge means are coupled to substantially eliminate the effects of gravity on the discharge pipe and still maintain the close spaced aligned relation between said faces.

2. A connection for a bulk sewage pump according to claim 1 wherein the means to removably couple comprises a vertically upwardly extending member mounted on an upper end portion of the discharge means adjacent the face, and a horizontally directed member secured to said discharge pipe and protruding from the end thereof adjacent said face, said member having an aperture in the protruding portion thereof engageable with said vertically upwardly extending member by being lowered vertically thereover to position the flat face of the discharge pipe in close spaced adjacent relation to the flat face of the discharge means.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 which includes a V rtically extending handle mounted to the pump to assist in vertically raising the pump to remove it from its respective coupling means and thus effect removal of the respective pump with no other dismantling required.

4. A combination according to claim 1 which includes a pair of submersible pump means having suction openings and discharge openings connected to the discharge pipe, swing check valve means in the discharge pipe to automatically close the discharge opening of the idle pump means when the other pump means is pumping, but to permit both discharge openings to be opened when neither pump means is operating, strainer means in the discharge pipe downstream of the swing check valve, a bulk sewage input pipe connected into the discharge pipe downstream of the strainer means and vertically higher than the strainer means to assure gravity flow from the input line to the strainer, and valve means to automatically close the input line when either pump means is pumping.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,785,480 12/1930 Durdin 103-11 2,648,986 8/1953 Guyer 103-111 X 3,018,925 1/1962 Englesson 103-117 X 3,015,279 1/1962 Nechine.

FOREIGN PATENTS 379,290 6/1964 Switzerland.

WILLIAM L. FREEH, Primary Examiner. 

